It is time to say goodbye to plastic bags!
Around the world, in countries like China and Ireland, people are taking a stand against the use of plastic bags. Los Angeles became the largest city in the United States to ban plastic bags at supermarket checkout lanes. The residents of Hawaii have collectively said “NO” to plastic bags. Yet, Honolulu’s new law does have some exceptions like plastic bags for newspaper delivery, frozen foods and flower. Still, in three years Hawaii will be the first state in the union to have banned the vast majority of the bags everywhere in the state.
Here are some reasons why the global community is waking up: In the U.S. alone, an estimated 12 million barrels of oil is used annually to make the plastic bags that Americans consume. On the worldwide scale, about 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags each year are used. These don’t biodegrade very well, they photodegrade, meaning they break down into smaller and smaller toxic bits. These bits contaminate soil, waterways and enter the food chain making dangerous toxic “food” for animals that can be deadly.
It’s estimated that plastic bag use in the U.S. creates 300,000 tons of landfill waste each year which produce chemically toxic waste for the soil if not contained. Plastics are not inert and many landfill liners and plastic pipes allow chemicals and gases to pass through while still intact.
Recycling is clearly better but costs $4,000 to process and recycle one tome of plastic bags, which have a market value of only $32. Surprisingly, many recycled plastic bags are shipped to China to do so, which is another major waste of energy.
Top tips for ditching plastic bags and other forms of plastic waste
- Carry reusable shopping bags—keep them in your car or better yet in your purse. I like Chico bags as they fold up into a small pocket of their own and can find space in most any purse or tote.
- Avoid plastic produce bags and use your reusable cloth bag instead.
- Put your child’s school lunch and snacks into reusable cloth bags
- Ditch bottled water—opt for reusable glass or stainless steel bottles instead. I like Enviro’s stainless steel hot/cold double wall so your drink stays cold even when forgotten in a hot vehicle.
- Buy milk and other beverages in reusable glass bottles.
